It’s a Journey
I’ve had 2 serious injuries in my life.
And I have found that both have guided me to where I am today.
An ACL, MCL and meniscus tear while playing soccer when I was 16 ultimately inspired me to choose this career and discover my passion for working with sports injuries and orthopedics.
Then a hamstring repair, in August 2020, had me reevaluating my future with running and how I wanted to spend the miles and steps I had left on these legs.
I took up running 15+ years ago on a bet with some friends on who could train and run a half marathon. (Because a 5k wasn’t enough???) With the help of a coworker that coached me, I found an emotional and physical outlet: a place to make the thoughts in my head quiet, a goal that relied just on me, not on teammates or competition against another person.
Running became MY THING. Runners became my community.
Weekends were spent running with friends and then getting together for coffee or brunch, traveling to races, planning the next adventure. Half marathons became marathons, learning to clip in and ride a bike led to triathlons.
Then, my priorities shifted.
I got married and started a family. Inevitably, I also started aging. As I got older, slower, and more injured, running hard and fast just didn’t have the appeal it once did. I was short-cutting my recovery and it was taking a toll. Training too much, too soon, ignoring the niggles and sacrificing the maintenance work for extra miles, time with family, or just more sleep.
PT’s aren’t perfect, you know? Sometimes we don’t always follow our own advice. Sometimes we fall victim to the same perils as our clients.
Enter trail races, where now it was OKAY to hike, the terrain dictates the pace, and the vibe is chill. Then suddenly, 26.2 miles wasn’t enough anymore. And when you have friends that do Ironman triathlons and 100-mile races, a 50k doesn’t seem so crazy.
What was next for me? More time with family.
My husband isn’t a runner. He works out, just hates running (that’s okay-if he ever did it, he would be better than I am-and I’m not okay with that). He’s been my biggest fan and cheerleader. He’s been to Boston, the Marine Corps Marathon, Big Sur, always on the sidelines. Finally, one day he asked about finding a way for us to train and do something epic together.
Well, making plans is MY JAM. Give me a goal and I will have spreadsheets, flights made and itineraries with colored tabs. We trained (well, I trained for months, he trained for 10 minutes- I DO NOT recommend that!) and completed the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike. It’s one of my most favorite days ever. It’s pretty awesome when you get to share a passion with your best friend and partner. I’ve come to a point where, if I only have “so much tread on the tires” left, then I want to spend some of them with him.
The moral of the story
People evolve. Needs, desires, and priorities change, but injury doesn’t have to be the determining factor in doing what you love. Sometimes, it’s about working with your life and your body to find what works. For me, the transition was from soccer as a teen, to distance running in my 20’s, to trail running and hiking today – so I can be healthy and spend more time with people I love.
Whether you want to run a marathon, hike the world, or get your backswing back, I can help.
Because I’ve been there!
All this to say: I get it.
I get the need and desire and anxiety that comes with injury. I know what it’s like to not have your body respond like you want it to. I am sympathetic AND empathetic. My goal is YOUR goal.
Let’s get you back on track.
Ready to get started?
Contact us to see how physical therapy can help!
